I Only Wanted To Play
by DragMeToHell
Summary: Elena is back after searching for the original family's help against Kai. But something is different about the Gilbert girl and the Salvatore brothers won't rest until they find out what happened to their caring little vampire.
1. Chapter 1

As I crossed the border into Mystic Falls I let my breath out and gave more confidence in my stride. When I left the magic around the border of my home town was still gone but I would always remember when Alaric crossed the line, and nearly died all over again. A slight breeze picked up the skirt of my dress and I looked down to make sure the hooks on the lace bodice were still held together. It would have been too awkward to rock up at the Salvatore's house half dressed, but a part of me wouldn't of minded. The dominant part of me. In all honesty I hadn't even wanted to wear the dress (a small red thing with black lace and metal hooks holding the corset in place) but I had little choice; it was either this or sweat pants and a baggy hoody. The old Elena would have chosen the baggy clothes but I'd learnt fast that looking good does pay off in the long run. It was a main reason why I was able to come back.

As I passed through the town I spotted the Mystic Grill and wondered if Matt still worked there. Probably. I shook my head and smiled as I wondered how he could be happy working there for most of his life. Someone shoved me roughly and I stumbled to my left, my reflexes fast enough so I didn't fall, and I looked up to see a dark skinned man shine his knife from his pocket. I raised an eyebrow as he quickly looked around us and slowly shuffle towards me. I lost it when he gave me his 'I'm-a-big-man-don't-mess-with-me' face. I doubled over laughing and shocked the man to the point where he took a few steps back. When I looked up again his cheeks were flushed and he was burning holes in my head.

"This ain't funny, girl. You better quit laughing before you get hurt" I did stop laughing at this and placed my hand on my hip, letting my weight drop on the one side. I gave the man a Cheshire cat grin and took a step towards him.

"Hurt me go on. I'm begging for it aren't i? It's the way I'm dressed? The way I walk?" I took a few more steps and the sound of my heels clicking against the concrete echoed in the silence of the streets. The man had pulled out the knife and was holding it out in front of him as a warning for me to stay away.

"Come any closer and I'll hurt you. I mean it" I bit my lip to stop from laughing again and defied his orders. When I took the next step he jerked his arm towards me, the blade widely missing my stomach, and I grabbed him by the throat. Using my speed I ran us both to a side alley and threw him against a wall where he slid down and rolled to his right. The knife had been dropped during the journey and he was realizing what a mess he was in. I could see it in his eyes. My smile was gone. I picked him up by his hair and he cried out in pain when I slammed his head against the wall once more and held him there. My face was centimetres from his when I spoke.

"I should kill you for what you were going to do to me. But I'm a nice girl…I don't really like killing people that much" He had begun shivering with fear and had started pleading with me to let him go, promising he'd never do anything like that again. I rolled my eyes.

"Your right you won't be doing this again…kind of hard to hurt girls when you can't chase after them" He gave me a confused look.

"What? I can…" It clicked a second before I snapped his lower legs in half and threw him deeper into the alley. I heard his cries still when I was three streets away.

(Stefan)

It had been three months since Elena had gone missing, so you could understand my shock and surprise when I opened the door to find her twirling a strand of her long brunette hair between her fingers. She grinned and I saw a fang pop out over her lip and frowned when I saw no veins around her eyes. I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside and looked into her eyes. When I saw that it was Elena I pulled her into a hug.

"Where the hell have you been?" She squirmed to get out of the hug and I held her at arm's length. She hid her fangs, something I would need to ask about later, and rested her hands on my arms.

"Gee, nice to see you again Elena really missed you!" Her sarcasm tore at my nerves and I resisted the urge to shake her.

"You were gone for three months, Elena. _Three months_!" I raised my voice at the last part and she flinched at the volume.

"I didn't mean to leave so fast…I was going to talk to you guys first but I knew what you would say…"

"What were you doing? What was so important that you had to leave for months without contacting us?" She bit her lip and seemed to be looking for the right words to say. I gave a growl of impatience and she shrugged off my arms.

"Okay! I know we needed help with Kai…and with Caroline flipping the switch….I just thought we could use some back up…" She was babbling and that was never a good sign. I took a step towards her and she held her hands palm up; a sign telling me to stay where I was. I did and crossed my arms over my chest. Why wouldn't she just tell me where she was?

"Do you know what happened in those three months you were gone Elena? We caught Caroline, after she used Liam as her blood bank, and Bonnie came back" The last part made her eyes widen and I saw tears forming.

"Bonnies…back?" I nodded and she covered her mouth with a hand.

"Where is she? I need to see her…" She made to go out the door but I placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks.

"No. First you need to tell me where you were and why you couldn't at least call us. Do you know how worried we were, Elena? How long we searched for you?" She shook her head and looked towards the fireplace in the living room. When she looked back to me the tears were gone.

"I'll tell you…but I think everyone needs to be here for this" I didn't like her stalling but I agreed to let everyone know they were needed. I called out friends and told them to come as soon as they could and Elena poured herself a glass of bourbon. I raised an eyebrow as she sat on the couch and hung up the phone on Matt. I hadn't been able to get a hold of Damon. I sat down opposite Elena and scratched my cheek.

"You don't like bourbon" It was a statement and she swallowed her mouthful of liquor and shrugged.

"I acquired a taste for it" I was about to ask when that happened when a man was suddenly standing in front of me, facing Elena. He held the bourbon bottle in his hand and when I stood and saw my brother's face I knew he was furious.

"Yes, Elena. When did you 'acquire' the taste" I sat back in my seat and rubbed across my eyes with a hand. This was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N; hey guys would like to say a big thank you for those who are now following me/my story.**

**Savily; thank you for being my first review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story; I'll try to update at least every week. I'm trying to go along with the new series (American time) so SPOILERS!**

(Bonnie)

It hadn't taken me long to get to Stefan's house. I couldn't sleep that night and when he called I had been practicing a few simple light spells in my room. When Stefan had hung up I couldn't believe what he had said; Elena was back? My mind was flooded with questions but I knew I would have to wait and let Elena explain herself before I judge her. But then another part of me thought she deserved the judgement and any anger aimed at her. I sighed and extinguished the flame on the candles. I needed to see her. When I opened the Salvatore home's door and walked in I thought how foolish it was for them to just leave their door unlocked. I mean sure they're vampires and all but anyone could just walk in and hurt them. I involuntarily flashed back to when Kai shot me with an arrow and I clutched at my stomach to cover the non-existing wound. When I remembered where I was I swallowed the lingering fear and ventured on into the living room; where Damon, Stefan and Matt were sitting and watching Elena (who was standing in front of the fire). They hadn't even noticed I had entered and that irked me. I, loudly, made my presence known as I stomped into the room and took a seat next to Stefan who gave me a questioning look. I, however, was staring at Elena who had tears in her eyes.

"Bonnie…" She took a step towards me but I held up my hand. We could start the whole family reunion thing _after_ she tells me where the hell she was. She frowned for a second before nodding and taking a deep breath.

"I know you've all been wondering where I've been these past few months, and I want you to know I never intended to be gone so long" A furious growl was heard to me left and I was surprised to see Damon giving such a hateful glare to Elena. But who could blame him? The girl he loved had disappeared without a trace and now she was back expecting everything to return to normal. Elena gave him an apologetic look before continuing.

"With everything getting so out of hand lately I just thought we could use some extra help, some back up…when I left Kai was one of the most powerful warlocks we've ever faced. With Bonnie gone and Caroline off the rails we couldn't of taken care of him by ourselves…" She had turned and was staring into the flames of the fireplace and had a pained expression on her face. When she didn't continue Damon stood and began pacing the room.

"So what? You thought we couldn't handle it and went looking for other vampires to help us? When have we ever needed an outsider's help?" He ran his hands through his hair and gave an annoyed grunt.

"Did you find anyone, Elena? 'Cuz you appeared to be alone upon your return" He had stopped behind me and Stefan and I looked to the younger brother for his thoughts on the matter. But Stefan's face was an emotionless mask and I knew he was thinking something over.

"Who were you looking for?" I decided it was my turn to question her and when Elena looked me in the eye for the briefest of moments I knew something was wrong. Her eyes…they seemed different. They were still the same chocolate brown that I remembered, but there was something deep within them that wasn't there before. I almost didn't notice when she started speaking again.

"They won't come until I call them. Until I know there are no other options"

"Who are 'they', Elena?" Stefan's tone was cold and I could feel Damon grip the back of the couch. Elena looked reluctant to answer. I gave an irritated sigh and threw my hands in the air.

"Oh for god's sake just tell us! You disappear and then come back expecting everything to be ok? For us not to want answers? Just quit stalling and tell us who you found" Elena's mouth dropped open and my outburst and even Stefan looked shocked. I glared at the both of them and crossed my arms. Elena shut her mouth quickly and cleared her throat.

"Okay…well…look I never thought I'd actually find them…I just hoped…"

"Spit it out, Elena!" Damon's voice was full of anger and only Elena jumped at the volume. Stefan and I were feeling the same anger and irritation that Damon felt and I knew the longer she stood there babbling the worse she was making it for herself. She closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists.

"Elena…" Whatever Stefan was about to say was cut off.

"Klaus! I went looking for Klaus and I found him! I found all of them alive and that's where I've been for the last three months!" For a few moments there was silence…and then all hell broke loose.

**A/N; so sorry this is a short chapter but its late where I am (00:46am) and I have an early start tomorrow. Hope you like it and I promise the next chapter will be longer!**


	3. Chapter 3

(Elena)

There had been shouting and heated words, and I think Damon broken a few chairs. But eventually they let me go and I couldn't hold in the tears any more. I ran into the forest and collapsed against a large tree as I screamed my frustration into the empty night. Why couldn't they just see I did it for them? I had explained to them why I did it after the shouting had ceased but they didn't want to hear it. When the tears ended I rested my head against the tree and looked up to the stars that shone in the black sky. I wanted more than anything to call one of the Mikaelson men, even Rebekah would do, but it wouldn't help anything and would only cause more trouble. A chill spread up my right arm and I heard the crunch of leaves behind me; someone was coming towards me. I sniffed the air and found the familiar scent of Stefan Salvatore. I didn't bother to turn to him as he sat beside me and when he reached for my hand I jerked it away from him. He sighed.

"Look, Elena…you shouldn't of done what you did; you put us all at risk going to find Klaus. But Damon was out of line with what he said back there…just tell us next time okay?" He had moved and was now kneeling in front of men and I couldn't help but smile. When he leaned in for a hug I wrapped my arms around his neck and knew that things were going to be okay. If Stefan Salvatore still accepted me then I could take on the world.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going but I knew you would all react the way you did tonight" He pushed a strand of hair from my face and gave me a kind smile.

"It's okay Elena I forgive you, just don't do it again" He pulled me into another hug and laid my head against his shoulder. I thought over his last words and couldn't help the frown that formed. _He_ forgave _me_? What would I need forgiveness for? Klaus? Hell no. A part of me snapped as I realised he was trying to control my future actions and stop me from seeing the original family again. How very typical of Stefan. I tried to justify his concern but my anger got the better of me and I pushed him away before rising to my feet. Stefan did the same and brushed off the dirt from his clothes as if this was all natural for him.

"_You_ forgive _me_?" I needed to make sure I wasn't reading into this, that I just mistook his words. He gave me that smile again, the smile that now seemed far too sweet, and nodded slightly.

"Yes I forgive you for turning to them for help when it wasn't needed. But your back now and you won't have to make contact with them again" Yep. I had heard him right. I felt my fangs drop and it took all I had to keep myself from attacking him. He took in the state I was in and raised his hands palm up to try and calm me. It didn't work.

"How like you, Stefan. I apparently screw things up for the world and you become the passive aggressive jerk who makes everyone see sense. I am so sick of this!" I threw my hands into the air and stalked off deeper into the woods. I heard Stefan follow me and spun to find his face inches from mine. He had a cautious expression and I could see the hurt in his eyes, but he had hurt me too and it was true that I was sick of being treated like a child by Stefan Salvatore. I was about to insult him further when his next words made my blood run cold.

"You betrayed us, Elena, when you sought them out. Did you think about that? You left Caroline in the state she is in to murder anyone she pleased – including Jeremy. And Bonnie? She just returned and you weren't there to help her adjust to the living world. They see your leaving as a betrayal and when I left the house Damon was speaking of throwing you out" I swallowed my insults and retracted my fangs, nodding in understanding. He continued.

"A lot has changed in these three months and now that we know where you were we all feel like crap. I can forgive you, hell even Bonnie will forgive you, but you need to work to make it up to Damon. He still love you, Elena, but he won't forgive you easily for this" And with that he was gone and I was left alone to think over what he had said. After an internal debate on what to do I ran in the direction of the river and hoped my plan would work.

(Caroline)

I had heard an argument from upstairs when I woke from unconsciousness and groaned at the hunger pains that clawed at my stomach and throat. Mt fangs felt sore in my mouth and my vision was dull compared to what it usually was. The brothers had kept me locked away ever since they caught me and said they would feed me two cups of blood a day until I turn my humanity back on. The first few days hadn't been so bad; Damon had kept me company in my cell. But as the months went on the days seemed to drag and my senses were dampened and I was left to myself (apart from when meals were delivered). When news of Bonnie's return came I felt no joy and only thought of how fun it will be killing her to pay the Salvatores back for keeping me locked up. I could still hear well enough to know someone was coming down the stairs and soon enough Damon was entering my cell and locking the door behind him. He banged his fist against the stone wall a few times before letting out an aggravated cry and sitting in the chair by the far wall. I smirked, enjoying his anger and pain, and shifted to a more comfortable position.

"What's got your panties in a twist? Bon-bon disappeared again?" He snarled at me my smirk grew at his annoyed look. Something must of happened to get him so worked up and Stefan wasn't the cause. Maybe it had something to do with Bonnie but he wouldn't be so mad at her. I decided to bait him further.

"You want me to guess, huh? Well Bonnie could of disappeared but you wouldn't be angry, just depressed and moody…Stefan could of found a new doppelganger for the both of you to fall in love with…what's that?" At the mention of Stefan he had growled and given me a warning look…no, not Stefan…doppelganger.

"So it's Elena?" The look he was giving me confirmed it and I threw my head back and laughed. So Elena had fucked up again and now everyone would be running around to save her.

"Shut up!" Damon was now standing and was clenching and un-clenching his fists. I guess he wanted to hit me.

"What did she do now? Sleep with Stefan?" I wiggled my eyebrows at him and his face suddenly went emotionless.

"She spent the last three months with Klaus and his messed up family. Now she comes back and thinks everything will go back to normal, but how can it? How can _we_ go back to normal?" He was sitting again with his head in his hands and his pathetic speech made me want to smash my head against a wall. I rolled my eyes and slumped against the wall, rattling my chains as I moved.

"Oh boo-hoo so Elena went and did something by herself for a change. You can't baby her forever and good for her for being able to spend time with Klaus and not get killed. Seems like she's removed the stick from her ass and has loosened up a bit" Damon had me by the throat before I had finished speaking and was applying enough pressure so it hurt, but not enough so I would pass out. I clawed at his arm but he ignored it and stared straight into my eyes.

"Caroline I am warning you. You are our friend and we will look after you but I can still hurt you. So shut your mouth and just flip the damn switch already!" He shouted the last part and made the crucial mistake of tilting his head ever so slightly. That is what gave me the chance to suddenly grab him by his jawline and twist sharply to the right; breaking his neck. He had been so focused on berating me that he hadn't realised what he was doing. I dragged him closer to me with the little strength I had and dug into his pockets, pulling out the keychain and unlocking my cuffs. I shakily got to my feet and put one foot in front of the other until I was at the large metal door. I unlocked and opened it and strained my ears to pick up any sound from upstairs. It was silent. I gave one last look being me at the 'dead' body of Damon before throwing the keys to him and running up the stairs, and out of the house to my freedom. They will pay for treating me like that. Starting with Stefan.

**A/N; woo more followers! Thank you for reading and I hope you guys are enjoying the story!**


	4. Chapter 4

(Elena)

I had tried to get through to Damon on his phone but he wasn't replying. I didn't mind so much – I did abandon him I suppose – but I needed to prove to him that it wouldn't change anything between us. I kept replaying that thought over in my head as I watched the hours pass by with still no sign of him. I had left several messages on his phone and had also messaged Stefan to ask if he could pass it along. When there was no reply from the younger Salvatore I began to lose my cool. Okay so I messed up but come on! This was ridiculous. I picked up the miniature glass goblet and swirled the now cold blood that was inside. I took one large drink from the goblet and then placed it back on the blanket before standing and stretching my arms above my head. I walked towards the river's edge and watched the slow movement of the water. My fingers twitched. My cell was just in my pocket. I could call them. I could just ask them to take me back. Just one phone call...It was too much. I pulled my phone out of my jacket and dialled in the familiar number. It only took one ring.

"Yes?" The snarky tone put a small smile on my face and I let out a breath I was unaware I was holding.

"Rebecca?" There was a pause and I heard the vampire speaking quietly to someone in the background.

"It's not even been a day Elena...is your little town already in ruins?" Behind the bitchiness I could tell she was worried; Rebecca and I had bonded over my time with the original family. I let out a short, humourless laugh and sat by the water's edge.

"Not yet. Things aren't good though...everyone hates me and Damon is pretending I don't exist" Rebecca sighed and I imagined her rolling her eyes.

"Oh grow up Elena! If Damon is going to act like a child then let him and when he comes to his senses he'll be begging your forgiveness" I looked over my shoulder at the small picnic I had made and nodded at her words.

"I suppose your right..." She laughed.

"Of course I am! But seriously...do you need us?" Her tone was serious and it made me feel better knowing at least someone cared.

"Not right now I think I can handle things on my own. A lot has happened since I've been away so I need to catch up and see where we stand"

"Ok. If you need us you know where we'll be – for anything at all Elena, your one of us now. Don't let the Salvatore brothers push you around" I nodded again and felt some of the weight lift from my shoulders. We said our goodbyes and I put my phone away. She was right – I only left to help and I didn't deserve that kind of treatment. I gave one last look to the abandoned picnic and ran in the direction of the town.

(Caroline)

It had been a few hours since I had escaped and I decided to not run far. Why bother? I didn't fear the brothers and this town was my home, I wouldn't allow them to drive me out. I took a seat at the bar and compelled the human running it to give me a complimentary drink. He smiled and pushed the drink towards me and went to serve the next customer. I took a sip and thought of my next move. Stefan had crossed me and that was not a smart thing to do. He would most likely be hanging around Elena now that she's returned...maybe I should pay her a visit. Before the thought had even left my head I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and raised my eyebrows – speak of the devil.

"Caroline?" The whiny voice cut through my and I shrugged the hand off my shoulder.

"I heard you were back, Elena. I'm impressed at how easily you got Damon worked up...I suppose I should be thanking you. Without his temper I would never of been able to snap his neck and escape that hellhole" There was a flash of concern across her face but it quickly disappeared. To my surprise she sat down beside me and, just as I had done, compelled the same bartender to get her a glass of Jack. I smirked and looked her over. No this was definitely Elena...

"So you've gone bad now, huh? I must admit I don't see it lasting" She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

"I haven't gone bad I'm just not bending to Stefan and Damon's orders any more. I'm just being myself" This new Elena looked sideways at me and cocked an eyebrow.

"So I heard you turned your humanity off" I let out a sound of disgust and turned away from her.

"I wouldn't bother trying to save me; the Salvatore brothers tried and look how that turned out"

"I don't want to save you, Caroline. If this is the life you want then I have no right to stop you" This had to be some kind of trap. I eyed her up and finished off my drink before standing.

"If this is some sort of trick-"

"It's not. I've been living with the original family for three months, Caroline. I'm not the same person as I was before, things have changed" I looked at her – really looked at her – and I knew what she said was true. The way she held herself, the way she spoke with such calm confidence. The past three months matured her and made her more aware of the world and had given her a new sense of understanding it seemed. I leaned against the bar and tilted my head.

"Come with me" She shook her head and had the last of her drink before also standing.

"I can't. Just because I'm not forcing you to accept your humanity doesn't mean I'm going to be okay with you killing people. Murder is murder no matter who does it" I nodded once and looked around the bar. Stefan was nowhere in sight which meant I would have to go looking for him. Elena was understanding of my situation but that meant nothing to me; if she gets in my way I'd kill her all the same.

"Just so were clear – if you get in my way I will kill you without a second thought. You mean nothing to me anymore" The moment the words left my lips Elena looked into my eyes. I frowned as I saw the colour in her irises move and shimmer as it was something I'd never before seen in a vampire. Before I could stop her Elena had grabbed onto my wrist and was holding so tight I could feel my bones being slowly crushed.

"Just so were clear, Caroline. If you threaten me or my friends ever again I'll make you beg for death. You mean little to me and if I see you again I will kill you" I didn't cry out as she gave my wrist one last squeeze before she let go. I cradled my injured limb in my good hand and glared at the brunette. Something had changed this was not the Elena I remembered. I didn't say anything as I left the small bar and healed my wrist. Stefan Salvatore was going to pay...but Elena would be the first to die.


End file.
